BMW 730i

• It's either this or a new Toyota Corolla. Don't be a peasant. -

The (still) beautiful kidneys, the court-master's nod, lots of '80s gadgets and a bang solid six-in-line with the iconic screech and silky smooth characteristics. The second-generation 7 Series, built to last.

Fortunately, BMW realized that they had the same solidity rolling off the assembly line at Mercedes, but that emotion and rational solidity often conflicted. So before all the humorless Germans could do what they were good at, BMW had Italians design the body. Ercole Spada, Italian former chief stylist of Zagato, designed the e32 line. Kudos!!!

And then a little sidetrack, for those of us who dare to claim that BMW is for boring people. Project Goldfish was an E32 that almost made it to production. The 767i. A nearly 7-liter V16 that required so much space, your cooling was moved to the rear trunk and got air through deep scoops in the rear doors. Unfortunately, the Greta's of the time put a stop to it. Cross that goldfish off your list again.

And then ours. A fully dealer maintained, fully documented BMW 730iA from actually the first owner, with exactly three options. The rear blinds, the automatic and climate control with air conditioning. Furthermore, it is a completely standard and original BMW, which shows that without crosses on the options list, you can still have a lot of fun with a 7. Along with the E38, this is the finest BMW line ever made.

• Nobody is perfect, but if you drive an E32 7 series, you're pretty close. -

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